Campbell defiant over Iraq dossier

The Labour spin doctor told Sir John Chilcott's panel he believed the controversial 2002 dossier – which he helped draw up with intelligence chiefs – had offered only a "conservative" estimate of Iraq's weapons capabilities and that he had not "beefed it up" in any way.

"At no point did anybody, from the Prime Minister down, say to anybody within the intelligence services, 'You have got to tailor it to fit this judgment or that judgment'," he said. "It just never happened."

Mr Campbell was in typically combative mood throughout five hours of live televised testimony yesterday and put up a strong defence of the Government's actions in the build-up to the war.

The former Number 10 communications director rejected claims from the UK's former ambassador Sir Christopher Meyer that former Prime Minister Tony Blair had committed himself to military action when he met President Bush 11 months before the invasion, insisting Mr Blair had constantly sought a peaceful solution.

But Mr Campbell did disclose that Mr Blair sent Mr Bush a series of private notes throughout 2002 which assured him of Britain's support if it came to war.

"The Prime Minister wrote quite a lot of notes to the President," he said. "I would say the tenor of them was that ... we share the analysis, we share the concern, we are going to be with you in making sure that Saddam Hussein is faced up to his obligations and that Iraq is disarmed. If that cannot be done diplomatically and it is to be done militarily, Britain will be there."

Mr Campbell said only certain members of Mr Blair's inner circle had seen the messages.

There were immediate calls from opposition politicians for the notes to be made public.

WHAT HE TOLD THE HEARING

Alastair Campbell's evidence – the main points:

Reveals Tony Blair sent private notes to President Bush in 2002 pledging British support for military action

Insists he did not "beef up" the infamous "dodgy dossier" which made the case for war in 2002

Stands by "every single word" of the document and insists it was an exercise in "open government"

Claims the controversy over the dossier was due to "dishonest journalism" by the BBC

Says Mr Blair sought a peaceful solution to the crisis up to the eve of the war.